Apparatus for generating and utilizing gaseous fuel



No. 617,785. Patented l an. I7, I899.

w. L. TETEBV APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND UTILIZING GASEUUS FUEL.

(Application 51661 on. so, 1897.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

Witnesses. Inven t r.

No. 6|7,785. Patented Jan. l7, I899.

w. L. TETER. I APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND UTlLlZlNG GASEUUS FUEL.

(Applicatibn filed Oct. 30, 1897.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W itnesses.

Attorney.

4 sheets sheet a 51/ Ill/ I!!! Patented Ian. 17,1899.

l &\\\\\\ W. L. TETER..

(Application filed Oct. 30, 1897.)

No. 6I7,785.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND UTILIZING GASEDUS FUEL.

(No .ModaI.)

No. 60,785. Patented Ian. l7, I899.

W. L. TETER V APPARATUS FDR GENERATING AND UTILIZING GASEUUS FUEL.

(Application filed Oct. 30, 189%. (No Model.) 4'SheetsSheet 4.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

T ILIAM L. TET'ER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FJORGIENERATINGAND UTILIZING G ASEOUSFUEL.

srncrncnmon forming tar of Letters Patent No. 617,785, dated January 17,1899.

Appllcation'filed October 30, 1897. Serial No. 656,887. (No model.)

To. all/ 07mm it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. TETER, of the city and countyofPhila'delphi'a, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improve-' mentin Apparatus for Generating and Utilizing Gaseous Fuel, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

Myinventiou relates to apparatus for generating and utilizing gaseousfuel; and it consists of the improvements which are hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings'lhcobjccts of this invention are to provide a furnace for burningordinary fuel with means to insure a complete combustion of the fuel andthereby to obtaina greater and more uniform heat,-to increase theintensity of the heat by the utilization of gaseous fuel in ad-- ditionto the ordinary fuel employed, and to effect the consumption of thesmoke'or unburned particles of fuel in. the products of combustion.- 5 pThe complete combustion of ordinary fuel renders the generation of heatmuch-more economical, enables inferior and cheaper grades of coal to beused, and avoids the formation of clinkers or imperfectly-consmnedportions of fuel. I

In furnaces in which more or less rarefied f uel-such, c. 9., as steamand vaporized hydrocarbon-has been fed into a retort so located as to bedirectly subjected to the products of combustion arising from theconsumption of the fuel on the grate .and thereby raised toa high degreeof heat, whereby the oil and steam are more or less decomposed intovolatile gases which are supplied to the body of incandescent fuel onthe grate by burners located under it, more or less difliculty has beenexperienced 'in constructing-a retort capable of withstanding the greatheat to which it is subjected and possessing a sufficient capacity-forcontraction and expansion without injury orloosening of the joints.

A part of the present invention relates to the construction of a retortwhereby it is enabled to expand and contract to the required extentwithout injury and to Withstand the intense heat to which it issubjected.

Another part of my invention relates to the employment of. asmoke-consumer for consu mm g thesmoke or unburned portionsof theproducts of combustion and to the construction thereof, whereby gaseousfuel may be utilized and the consumer may be directly subjected to theproducts of combustion of the fuel on the grate without liability tobecome injured or loosened at the joints by contraction and expansion orthe intense heat to which it .is subjected.

My invention also relates to means for supplying a forced draft ofheated air or air and superheated steam to the fuel on the grate toassist the gaseous fuel supplied by the burners in effecting thecomplete combustion thereof.

A part of the present invention relates to improvements upon theapparatus described in my Letters Patent N 0. 499,054, dated J une 6,1893, in which is described an apparatus employing a gas-generatingchamber located in the rear of the grate, so as to be directly subjectedto the products of combustion arising therefrom, and a burnercommunicating with said generator and extendin g u nder the grate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furnaceembodying my inventi0n,with the incasin g brickwork in longitudinalsection'to expose the interior. Fig. 2 is a plan View, enlarged, of theretort-burners and smoke-consumer. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional viewofthe retort on the line a :0 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofone of the retort-supporting frames. Fig. 5is a side elevation, similarto Fig. 1, illustrating a modification. Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsectional View of one of the retort-tubes, illustrating a modificationthereof. Fig. 7 is-a plan view of the coil through which a forced draftmay .be supplied to the furnace-grate; and Fig. 8

is a perspective view of the f urn ace illustrated in Fig. 1, with partof the incasing brickwork broken away to expose-the interior.

A isthe ordinary ftn'nace-grate.

B is the retort, located in the rear of the grate. 'This retortconsistsof a tubular stru ctureand is preferably composed of a series oftransvers'ely'arranged tubes 0, united at their ends by couplings D andforming a substantially unitary structure. In mypreferredconstructionthe retorttubes O consist of ordinary wrought-iron tubeshaving a pro testing-sheathing. This sheathing is shown in Fig. 31 as acontinuous cast-iron sheath E,

and in Fig. 6 it is shown as a series of cast-.

iron sleeves or rings E to permit of expansion and contraction and toavoid the liability of the retort-tubes to crack, owing to theinequality of the expansion of wrought and cast iron. In-the latter casethespaces between the rings or sleeves E maybe filled with crucible clayor other refractory material, as

indicated at e. In this way the retort-tubes will be able to withstandthe intense heat to [O which they are to be subjected withoutdiabilityof cracking.

, F F are supporting frames or boxes, of metal or refractory material,resting on fire-brick supports in which the couplings D of the re- I 5tort-tubes are supported. I have shown the boxes F F provided withnotches f on their inner faces adapted to receive flanged collars e onthe ends of the retort-tubes. The couplings D within the boxes F arecovered with or embedded in crucible clay or other refractory materialand are thusiprotected from injury. The boxes F F may move to and fromeach other when the retort-tubes expand 'or contract, so that the retortwill not be sub:

'; jected to strain or be liable to become weakened or injured at'thejoints.

G are burners located under the grate A and communicatingwith the retortB by a pipe I-I.

K is a pipe communicating with the retort B,by means of whichhighly-inflammable fuel, such as oil in a more or less rarefiedcondition, is supplied thereto.

R is an ejector connected with the pipe K, by means of which the oilissupplied through the pipe K to the retort. The ejector is connected, asby a supply-pipe Q, with thesource of oilssupply. Steam is supplied tothe ejector by a pipe r, leading from a supply-pipe 'r,

o communicating with the steam-boiler T orother source of steam-supply.I have shown the pipe 7" communicating with the pipe 1' through asteam-chamber R.

The oil in a more or less vaporized condi- 5 tion mixed with steam isfed by the ejector R through the pipe K to the retort B, where,

being subjected to intense heat,'it is converted with the steam intovolatile gases, which pass through the pipe-II to the burners G,

where they escape and pass up into the body of incandescent fuel uponthe grate A and are consumed partly therein and .partly in the spaceabove the grate, thereby greatly increasing the combustion of the fueland adding to the intensity of the heat.

I is a smokePcous-umer located in the rear of the grate A and adapted toconsume the .unbu rned particles which escape from the fuel in the formof smoke. This smoke-consumer 6c is so located that it will be directlysubjected.

tothe products of combustion arising from the consumption of fuel on thegrate A, whereby itwill be raised to an intense heat, and inflammablefuel, such as steam and oil, in

.6 5 a more or less rarefied condition supplied to p it may be composedto a greater or less extcnt' into volatile gases, which are allowed tosimilarly supported.

- jectors R B, respectively.

escape into the products of combustionand be consumed therewith to burnthe unburned particles of fuel escaping in .the form of smoke. Thissmoke consumer preferably consists of a closed portion or receptacle,into which the rarefied oil and steam are introduced and in which theyare conv'ertedwholly' or partly into volatile gases, and a perforatedportion connected therewith, into which the volatile gases pass andfromwhich they escape. As shown, this smoke-consumer consists of aperforated pipe I, supported at its ends by the frames F F and connectedby a couplingj with a closed tube orreceptacle J, The ends of the pipesI J and their coupling may be supported in the frames or boxes F F andprotected by fireclay in a manner similar to the ends of theretort-tubes C G and their couplings D.

L is a pipe leading to the smoke-consumer and connected with an ejectorR to which oil and steam are supplied through supplypipes Q and r in amanner similar to that in which the oil and steam are supplied to theejector R. The mixed oil and steam in a more or less rarefied conditionis thus fed by the ejector B through the pipe L to the smoke-consumer,and being decomposed in the pipe J emerge from the burner I in the formof volatile gases, which are ignited by the flames from the grate andburning with an intense heat act to consume the unburned particlesescaping in the form of. smoke.

The oil (usually ordinaryhydrocarbon oil) may be supplied to theejectors in any eonvenient' manner. uniform supply of oil without thenecessity {of'operating a pump continuously, I prefer to employ thefollowing devices:

M is a tank communicating by a pipe N with a force-pump 0,.by which aquantity of oil may be pumped from a reservoir into the tanks Q is awater-pipe by which water under pressure may be supplied to the tank M.

Q is a pipe leading from the tank M'and having two branches QQ leadingtothe insight-gages g g? To insure -a steady and maybe interposed in thepipes Q Q to show the passage of the oil. I

R is a steam-chamber to which steam is supplied by the piper and fromwhich it is supplied to the ejectors R R 'by' the pipes 7" rrespectively. p j I p S is a drip-pipe from the steamwhamber.v

Oil is supplied by the pump 0 to the tank M, to which water underpressure is admitted by the pipeQ. The oil floats on the top of thewater and is forced by hydrostatic pressureinto the pipe QZwhence it isdrawn by the injectors R and is forced in a finely-divided conditioninto the pipes K and L. As the .oil is drawn by thejinjectors R R itbecomes divided and falls in drops, and is therefore in condition to bemore readily atomized or finely divided by the action of theinjeotors.

B. through the pipes Q Q In the construction shown in Fig. 5 thesmoke-consumer J is omitted, and a forced draft of superheated steam andair is supplied to the furnace under the grate.

5 \U is a blast-pipe opening under the grate or other source of supplyand provided with a nozzle w in the funnel-inlet u, by means ofwhich-aforced, draft of air and steam is forced through the inlet winto'the pipe U.

U is a'superheating-coil located within the 51 furnace and interposedbetween the inlet a and outlet of the blast-pipe, through which {theair-and steam 'pass and become super A heated before being supplied tothe grate Thisforced draft of air andsuperheated o s'team mingling withthe volatile gases'supplied from theburners G assists in producing acomplete combustion ofthe fuel on vthe grate and a more intense heat.

' Thedetails of construction which have been I shown for the purpose ofillustrating my in vention may be variedwithout departing fromit. v A

What I claim as new, and desire to secur by Letters'Patent, is asfollows:

. gaseou-s fuel, the combination with the grate, of a retort, locatedadjacentthereto so as to be directly subjected to the products ofcombustion therefrom, and-composed of a series 5 .of tubes coupledtogether at their ends, supporting-frames independent of one anothersupporting the ends of said tubes, means'to supply. steam and 'oil tosaid retort, and a burner located immediately under the grate andcommunicating with the retort.

2. The retortfor generating gaseous fuel, consisting of a series oftubes Gunited at their ends by couplings D, and the supporting-frames F,F, each independent of the couplings D, and'the supporting-frames F, F,-

each independent of the other supporting rthe ends of said tubesandcontaining said couplings.

5. The retort for generating gaseous fuel, consisting of a series oftubes 0 sheathed in jackets each composed of a series of inde- 1 pendentcast-iron rings, and coupled together at their ends.

6. The retort for generating gaseousfuel,

1. In apparatus. for generating and-utilizing other supporting the endsof said tubes'and" consisting of a series of tubes 0 sheathed in jacketseach composed of a series of independent cast-iron rings-with asheathing layer of refractory materialbetween adjacent rings, andcoupledtogether at their ends.

7. In apparatus 'for generating and utilizing gaseous fuel, thecombination withthe grate, of a retort, located adjacent thereto so asto be directly subjected to the products of combustion therefrom,andbomposed of a tubular structure, supporting-frames independent of oneanother supporting the ends ofsaid tubular structure and havingprovision for movement relatively to one another under the action of thecontraction and ex- I pansion of the tubular retort, and a burnerlocated under'the grate and communicating with the retort.

8; In apparatus for enerating and utilizing gaseous fuel the combinationwith the grate," of a retort,'1ocated adjacent thereto, so as to bedirectly subjected to the products of combustion therefrom, andcomposedof a series of tubes united at their ends by coup- .lin'gs,supporting-frames independent of one another supporting the ends ofsaid.tubes and having provision for movem ent relatively to one another underthe action of the contraction and expansion of the tubular retort,

refractory material carried by said frames, by 4 jwhich the couplings ofsaid tubes are -cov.-

ered, and a burner located under the grate and communicating with'theretort.

. 9. In apparatus for generating and utilizing. gaseousfuel, thecombination with the.

grate, 'of a retort, located adjacent thereto so as to bedirectl ysubjected to the products of combustion arising therefrom, andconsisting of atubul'ar structure, burners located under the grate andconnected with the reto'rt,-a.

smoke-consumer embracing a perforated tube or receptacle, also locatedabove the grate andadjacent to the retort so as to be subjecting gaseousfuel, the combination with the IIO ed to the productsof combustionarising from L grate, of a retort, located adjacent thereto so as to bedirectly subjected to the products of combustion arising therefrom, andconsisting of a tubular structure, supporting-frames supporting theends'of said tubular structure, burners located under the grate andconnected-with the retort,i a smoke: consumer cons'isting of atubularstructure. embracing a perforated tube, located above the grate andadjacent to the retort so asto be-subjected to I the products ofcombustion arising from the grate, and supported by the frames which-support the retort, and means to supply a highlyihflammable fuel, such asrarefied hydrocarbon, tosaid smoke-consumer.

11. In apparatus'for generating and utilizing gaseous fuel, thecombination with the grate, of a smoke-consumer, located. adjacentthereto so as to be directly subjected to the products of combustionarising therefrom,

and consisting of a tubular structure embracing a-perforated tube, andsupporting-frames supporting the ends of said tubular structure andhaving provision for movement relatively to one another to permitexpansion and contraction of the tubular structure. 12. In apparatus forgenerating and-utilizing gaseous fuel, the combination with the grate,of a smoke-consumer, located adjacent thereto 'so as to be directlysubjected. to the ing gaseous fuel, the combination of a retortconsisting of a tubular structure, a smokeconsumer also consisting'of, atubular structure and embracing a perforated tubefor the escape ofgases, and supporting-frames sup-" portingthe ends of said tubularstructures and free to move to and from each other under the'expansionand contraction thereof.

14. In apparatus for generating and utilize ing gaseous-fueltheeombination of a retort consisting of a closed tubular structure B, a

second tubular structure independent of the first embracing a perforatedtube or portion,

and supporting-frames, supporting the ends of said tubular structuresand free to move to and from each other under the expansion andcontraction thereofl 15. In apparatus for generating and utilizinggaseous fuel the combination of a retort consisting of a closed tubularstructure B, a

second tubular structure independent of the first embracing a perforatedtube or portion,

supporting-frames, supporting the ends of said tubular structures andfree to move to and from eachotherunder the expansion and contractionthereof, and means for supplying a highly-inflammable fuel, such asrarefied oil and steam, to each of saidtubular structures.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM L. TErEn.

. Witnesses:

ERNEST Howann Hun'rnn, J. W, KENWORTHY.-

